creative capital rpt 04302010

7/30/2019 Creative Capital Rpt 04302010

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C v C p : C v D C g D t 1

anin

itiativeof

the DC

off

iCe of

Pla

nnin

g

crtiv cpitlT C r a T v D C a C T o a g D a

anD the Washington, DC eConomiC PartnershiP


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

AGENCy PArTNErS

DC Commission on the rts and umanities

gloria auden, xecutie Director

Deartment o ousin and Community Deeloment

eila dmonds, Director

Martine Combal, proerty cquisition

and Disosition Manaer

Ofce o Motion picture and eleision Deeloment

Kathy olliner, Director

rou o leaders in the DC Creatie conomy also made a sinicant contribution to the roject: philia uhes o the pink

ine project, ony gittens o the DC Film Festial, nne Corbett and lana Branda o the Cultural Deeloment Cororation,

gerry Widdicombe o the Downtown Business mroement District, Camille keju o the Smithsonian nacostia Community

Museum, geore Koch o artomatic, Jennier Coer-payne o the Cultural lliance o greater Washinton, inda arer o

Cultural ourism, victoria sley o Destination DC, ebahat oyan o Social Comact, and Chris Jennins o the Shakeseare

heatre Comany. Secial thanks also to vincent galleos o vgD Desin or roidin the coer imaes and many o the

other imaes used in this reort.

PLANNNG AND ECONOMC DEvELOPMENT TEAM

DC OffCE Of PLANNNG

osalynn uhey, Deuty Director o Citywide

and eihborhood plannin

Kimberly Driins, ssociate Director o Citywide

plannin

Sakina Khan, Senior conomic planner

oward Ways, Secial ssistant

Malaika bernathy, Ward 4 eihborhood planner

Matthew Jesick, Deeloment eiew Secialist

WASNGTON, DC ECONOMC PArTNErSP

Stee Moore, president and CO

ndi Joseh, Director, esearch and Communications

CONSuLTANT TEAM

MT. AuburN ASSOCATES (LEAD)

Beth Sieel, president

Michael Kane, Manain partner

Deon Winey, Senior ssociate

Judi uciano, Finance and dministration

CuTTNG EDGE DESGN, NC

Sarah Mcphie, partner and eort Desiner

GrEEN DOOr ADvSOrS, LLC

Marisa gaither, Owner and Manain partner

rEGONAL TECNOLOGy STrATEGES, NC

Stu oseneld, princial & Founder

Dan Broun, Director o Secial projects

DSTrCT Of COLuMbA

drian M. Fenty, Mayor

valerie-Joy Santos, Deuty Mayor or plannin and conomic Deeloment

arriet reonin, Director o the DC Ofce o plannin


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anD the Washington, DC eConomiC PartnershiP

an initiative of the DC offiCe of Plannin g

crtiv cpitlT C r a T v D C a C T o a g D a

may 2010


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CrEATvE DC ACTON AGENDA

The Disticts ceatie econom is a moe signicant than

we peiosl thoght, with ceatie jos amonting to

moe than 10 pecent o the cits emploment ase and

geneating $5 illion in income. his sector is also at the

heart o the small business economy it relies on innoation

and entrereneurshi, and roides income and emloyment

oortunities to residents. he District has the key assets

needed to sustain this sector and maintain a cometitieede, such as the resence o ederal oernment and orein

missions that sonsor cultural acilities and eents. With the

new understandin o the Districts creatie economy that this

reort roides, we can celebrate our identity as a creatie city

and take stes to strenthen our osition by exandin our

creatie jobs base and attractin additional businesses.

Valerie-Joy Santos, Deputy Mayor for

Planning and Economic Development

This std pts the Distict in a new light we ae tl a

ceatie cit, whee ceatiit and talent comine to enlien

o commnit and enhance o competitieness. Whether

it is a erormin arts estial or a multimedia desin rm,

creatie enterrises are roidin emloyment and business

oortunities or residents, and contributin to the economic

stability o the District. he creatie economy is also helin

to reconnect and reitalize emerin areas o the city, with

arts and cultural actiities attractin residents and isitors,

and helin neihborhoods deelo an een more distinctie

sense o lace. By nurturin these assets, we can take our

creatie economy to the next leel, and hel communities

throuhout the city row into more robust neihborhoods.

Harriet Tregoning, Director of the DC Oce of Planning

This std is not jst the talling o past ches, msicians

and oadcast jonalists, it is a window into the elow-the-

ada commnit o sinesspeople and poessionals o all

stipes who hae not een well epesented in o eseach

ntil now. his is a limse at another DC that is emerin in

our midst. he urchasin ower, housin reerences, and

cultural aetites o these creaties when understood as

a market sement create new oortunities or businesses

in DC.

Steve Moore, President and CEO of the

Washington, DC Economic Partnership

The contition that ats and clte make to the Distict

is alidated this std. The diese ange o wold class

ceatie sectos om media ats and technolog to ne

ats denes a compelling component o the Disticts

econom and and. nnoation is born rom this rou, driin

the ibrancy o our communities. We now hae a bluerint

or strenthenin this base throuh arts education and the

deeloment o our local arts and cultural assets.

Gloria Nauden, Executive Director of the

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

The ats ae a ital economic die in the Distict o

Colmia; togethe, atists, ceatie sinesses, cltal

nonpots and goenment patnes pla impotant oles and

diectl impact the Disticts econom. rtist lie-work housin,

or examle, can hel reitalize neihborhoods, attract new

businesses, enerate jobs and reenue, and enhance the quality

o lie or residents.

Leila Edmonds, Director of the

DC Department of Housing and Community Development

We ae ilding a wold-class, inclsie cit. nd we are committed to doin eerythin that we can to

ensure the success o this dynamic sector o our economy.

Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia


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ExECuTvE SuMMAry...........................................................................................................................7

NTrODuCTON...................................................................................................................................... 13

TE ECONOMC SGNfCANCE Of TE CrEATvE SECTOr N WASNGTON, DC....... 17

SEGMENT PrOfLES ............................................................................................................................. 31

Museums and eritae ...................................................................................................................31

Buildin rts ..................................................................................................................................... 33

Culinary rts .....................................................................................................................................34

perormin rts ...............................................................................................................................36

Media and Communications......................................................................................................... 38

visual rts/Crats and Desiner products ................................................................................ 41

SuMMAry Of STrATEGES AND ACTON AGENDA.................................................................. 45

Creatie Suort .............................................................................................................................46

Creatie Markets ..............................................................................................................................50

Creatie Youth ..................................................................................................................................54

Creatie Work ....................................................................................................................................57

Creatie Business ............................................................................................................................60

Creatie places ................................................................................................................................. 63

MPLEMENTNG TE ACTON AGENDA MMEDATE PrOrTES ..........................................75

Tab

le

ofConTenT

s


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om to let clockwise:

Windows nto DC, ew Community For Children, 2009

go With the Flow, Cheryl Foster, 2000

Cherry Blossom Festial; hoto by vincent galleos

urkey hicket ecreation Center, garin Baker, 2007

rt oenin at the amiltonian gallery; hoto by vincent galleos

Draon gate, ndrew Craword, 2007aes 1, 2, 4 and 6: Commissioned by the DC Creates! public rt proram throuh the DC

mmission on the rts and umanities


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excutiv summry

Another Washington, DC exists, hiding

in plain sight alongside and within

the governmental enclave, tourist

sites, and monuments: a Washington

that stands as a center for creativity

and arts with few rivals in the U.S. or

worldwide.

Washinton, DC occuies a unique lace amon merican

cities. t is the center o our olitical system and it is also

renowned as a cultural and historical destination, boastin

sites such as the Caitol and White ouse, as well as the

Smithsonian nstitution and other well-known and much-

loed museums.But another Washinton, DC exists, hidin in lain siht

alonside and within the oernmental enclae, tourist

sites, and monuments: a Washinton that stands as a

center or creatiity and arts with ew rials in the U.S. or

worldwide. he citys creatie sectora hrase reerrin

to enterrises in and or which creatie content dries

both economic and cultural alue, includin businesses,

indiiduals, and oranizations enaed in eery stae

o the creatie rocessacts as a local economic drier

creatin a sinicant number o jobs, income, and

reenues or the city and its residents. hose creatie

enterrises, ranin rom well-known cultural enues and

enormously inuential media to ibrant isual arts and

theater communities, innoatie desin, and emerin

world-class cuisine, are helin to create a new identity or

Washinton, indeendent o the established ercetions

and otentially o ar reater imortance and alue in the

lies o Washintonians themseles.

PurPOSE

his reort, the Creative DC Action Agenda (the ction

enda), was commissioned by the DC Ofce o

plannin and the Washinton, DC conomic partnershi

to quantiy and ut into context the creatie economy

o the District, iin the citys myriad arts and cultural

endeaors their rihtul reconition and makin the case

that the creatie sector can act as a owerul tool or job

creation and economic rowth in neihborhoods across

the city. his ction enda is intended to roide a

bluerint or the ublic, riate, and nonrot sectors as

well as or residents as they seek to realize the ollowin

outcomes:

rEvTALzATON o undersered neihborhoods

throuh arts and creatie uses that enerate new

business creation, emloyment or residents, and

income or communities;

vC ggOS /


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8 t C v C p : C v D C g D

GENErATON Of NEW WOrK OPPOrTuNTES or

youth, entrereneurs in the creatie economy, and the

underemloyed;

furTErNG A SENSE Of PLACE or both city

residents and isitors in distinctie DC communities

such as Columbia eihts, 14th and U streets,

nacostia, and Brookland;

LvELEr STrEETS AND NEGbOrOODS throuh

actie use o currently acant and underutilized sace;

MOrE MPACT fOr PLANNNG at the neihborhood

leel, includin art and culture zonin reiew, and

strateic eorts to raise the leel o retail actiity; and

GrEATEr LNKAGES between the Districts assets

and suort systems, includin ublic education and

workorce deeloment.

ECONOMC SGNfCANCE

lready, Washintons creatie economy has a

tremendous oundation to build uon. Both in absolute

and relatie terms, the sector is a owerhouse: it

accounts or more than 75,000 jobsabout 10 ercent

o all jobs in the District o Columbiaand oer 10,000

establishments. hese creatie jobs account or

aroximately $5 billion in waes. mon those 75,000

jobs are more than 16,000 ederal oernment ositions

at cultural institutions such as the ational rchies

and Kennedy Center or perormin rts, as well as

nearly 7,000 sel-emloyed indiiduals who sere as

sole rorietors o creatie enterrises. en excludin

workers who are sel-emloyed or hold oernment

jobs, the number o creatie sector jobs is larer than

in sectors such as technoloy, nancial serices, and

education, and, until the recent economic downturn, new

job creation in the creatie economy easily outaced

the rate o job rowth in those other sectors. he citys

creatie economy is also larer as a roortion o total

emloyment than is the case in the DC metro reion and

the United States as a whole.

alent increasinly dries this creatie economy as

the District becomes more and more a city o choice or

many in creatie elds. n addition to creatie workers

emloyed in exlicitly creatie enterrises, thousands o

Washintonians do creatie work in other industriessuch

as music and arts teachers in ublic and riate schools.

he District has a ery hih concentration o writers,

isual artists, architects, interior desiners, musicians, and

rahic desiners. n all, more than 36,000 city residents

are in such ositions, earnin median hourly waes o

$33.75, more than two dollars aboe the citywide median.

Yet another indication o how DC has become a national

center or creatie eorts is a study o data rom the 2000

Census, which ound that the DC metro area ranked ourth

in concentration o artistic talent as measured by the

occuations o residents, trailin only os neles, ew

York, and San Francisco.

his creatie talent roides a rich ecosystem or new

enterrises and new oortunities that can raise the

cometitieness o the Districts economy in the uture.

Beyond the Mall, beyond its imae as a oernment

town, Washinton, DC is oised to become a center o the

national creatie economy.

While the tanible eects o Washintons creatie

economy and its workers are imortant enouh, less

quantiable imacts o creatie actiity should not be

oerlooked. Creatie industries, includin erormin arts

and culinary enterrises, not only contribute to the citys

oerall aeal to tourists; as those actiities ain a hiher

role, they hel make the District a more attractie

destination or the sort o hih-alue knowlede

workers on which local economies increasinly deend.

he emerence o creatie endeaors also has beun to

transorm neihborhoods across the city, heihtenin

their character and aeal that miht hae been

reiously oerlooked.


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CrEATvE SEGMENTS

he diersity o the citys creatie economy oes well

beyond the most well known cultural assets on the

ational Mall and Downtown. he Creative DC Action

Agenda identied and assessed six key sements, or

industry rous, which encomass the citys creatie

sector: museums and heritae, buildin arts, culinary

arts, erormin arts, media and communications, and

isual arts and crats. he ction enda also catures

the creatie strenths and assets in all o the citys

neihborhoods to ensure that economic oortunities

reach all arts o the District, articularly undersered

areas where creatie actiities could benet youth and

underemloyed and unemloyed residents.

he best-known sement o Washintons creatie

economy is its museums and historical sites. With one

o the larest concentrations o museums in the U.S.,

this sement roides 10,454 direct jobs and accounts

or 14 ercent o all creatie sector jobs in the District.

he institutions that describe and reresent the nations

history, cultural roducts, and achieements are the

remier attractions or amilies, orein tourists, and youth

rous isitin the city. n addition to the sinicantnumber o jobs associated with DCs museums and the

tourism-related economic imacts, this sement o the

creatie economy also enerates a market or many

other local businesses, includin rahic artists, caterers,

museum exhibit desiners, and art handlers.

n terms o emloyment, the larest sement in the

District is media and communications, which roides

32,132 jobs and oer $3 billion in waes in the District. s

with any city o comarable size, metroolitan Washinton

has numerous local teleision, radio, and rint institutions.

But the ull scoe and scale o this sement comes rom

the additional media outlets that brin national and

international olitical news and analysis and their own

secial culture to the world at lare. he District is home

to ational public adio, ational georahic, C-Sp,

and Black ntertainment etwork, to name a ew. he

concentration o emloyment in teleision and radio

in the District is e times the national aerae. n

addition, roximate to the city are additional major

media and entertainment comanies includin the

Discoery Channel, the rael Channel, and USA

Today. Beyond these comanies, most major news

oranizations and maazines around the world hae

some local resence ia a Washinton news bureau

or desk. While not thouht o as a national center

or ublishin, the concentration o emloyment in

newsaer, eriodical, and book ublishin is six times

the national aerae. number o the maazines with

the larest circulation in the nation, such as National

Geographic, the Smithsonian maazine, andAARP The

Magazine (the worlds larest circulation maazine) are

headquartered in Washinton, DC.

While not as lare in terms o emloyment,

accountin or just ewer than 5,000 jobs, the Districts

erormin arts sement has become an increasinly

ibrant and rowin art o the creatie economy.

n recent years, the erormin arts industry in the

District has blossomed with new theaters and lays,

innoatie dance comanies, and an eclectic mix o

musical styles and enres. he citys mix o theater

comanies and enues includes the Kennedy Center

or the perormin rts, rena Stae, Shakeseare

heater Comany, Washinton ational Oera, and

the Washinton Ballet. o this mix can be added the

Wooly Mammoth, Studio heatre, the Source, the

Warehouse, the tlas perormin rts Center, and

the gala heatre, a center or atino erormin arts.

he annual Caital Frine Festial adds een more

cuttin-ede aor to DCs theater scene. With 69

theaters roducin 8,723 erormances in 2008, DC is

now amon the to tier o theater cities in the U.S. n

act, the elen ayes wards notes that Washintons

theater community is second to ew York City in its

breadth and deth o oerins.1

he music industry, like many other comonents


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o the DC creatie economy, is notable or its breadth.

he District ranks amon the to tier o major cities in

the number and quality o its choirs and choral rous;

has a lon and rich history in jazz; was at the oreront o

unk music; and has its own music enre, o-o music,

a mix o unk, ra, and heay ercussion that ot its

start in the 1970s. ery niht oers a ull rane o music

erormances at major concert halls and erormin arts

acilities, churches, neihborhood bars and clubs, and

enues o hiher education institutions in the city.

rowin cadre o new ches has brouht enery,

isibility, and a rane o hih-end cuisine to the District,

iin the culinary arts a more distinctie imae. his

sement accounts or 24 ercent o total creatie sector

jobs in the District, and 9 ercent o waes in the sector.

his sement o the Districts creatie economy, like

many others, also has a dee connection to the citys

rican-merican culture and heritae and to the citys

international diersity. he citys diersity is reected in

its thioian, Brazilian, ndian, French, german, Sanish,

Moroccan, hai, Mexican, han, greek, peruian,

vietnamese, and Belian restaurants, which can be ound

in the downtown as well as in the neihborhoods.

Surrisin to most is the incredibly hih concentration

o indiiduals and businesses inoled in the buildin arts,

includin architecture, landscae architecture, and interior

desin. his sement o the creatie economy accounts

or 10 ercent o total creatie sector jobs in the District

and 12 ercent o waes in the sector. he imortance

o the District as an architectural center is reected in

its relatiely hih concentration o architectural industry

emloyment, about 4.5 times the national aerae.

Finally, while the smallest o the six sements, ofcially

accountin or only about 2,000 jobs, the isual arts

and crats sement inoles many indiidual artists and

artisans who oten sell their roducts in local alleries, ia

the nternet, and at local markets. Washinton, DC has

a rowin cadre o ainters, hotorahers, scultors,

otters, lassblowers, metal artists, jewelers, ashion

desiners, and other artisans as well as the alleries that

dislay and sell them. his sement, the smallest o the

six, accounts or 3 ercent o total creatie sector jobs in

the District, and just 1 ercent o all creatie sector waes.

CrEATvE PLACES

he creatie talent and enterrises in each o these

sements are sread throuhout the District. Washinton

is a city o neihborhoods, each with its own distinctie

history and cultural and creatie assets. perhas because

o these dierences, each neihborhood exresses

creatiity in its own way, throuh ne and erormin

arts, media, cuisine, and culture. For examle: TE u AND 14T STrEETS ArEA, once known as

the nations Black Broadway, which roduced or

attracted leendary erormers Cab Calloway, pearl

Bailey, Sarah vauhn, Billie olliday, Duke llinton,

Miles Dais, John Coltrane, and Cannonball dderly, is

now one o the citys most ibrant arts, entertainment,

and cultural scenes.

DOWNTOWN, the most accessible location or tourists

and oernment emloyees, eatures six indeendent

theaters where more than hal a million eole

attended shows in 2007; many more dined at one o

the downtown restaurants or enjoyed an eenin at

one o the numerous dance clubs.

ANACOSTA in southeast Washinton is one o the

citys remier historic districts, the only neihborhood

east o the nacostia ier on the ational eister o

istoric places. he neihborhood is also eolin into

a creatie cluster, with new alleries and artist housin.

GEOrGETOWN is home to a world-class uniersity and

charmin 19th century streetscaes, and is a location

o choice or many o the architecture and desin rms

in the city.

DuPONT CrCLE, the historic center o ay lie and

culture in the city, oers a wealth o bookstores, caes,

many associations and nonrot headquarters, and a

rowin cluster o diital arts comanies.


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brOOKLAND eatures the homes o rominent rican-

mericans such as obel prize winner alh Bunche,

rst rican-merican cabinet member obert Cliton

Weaer, and imressionistic artist ois Mailou Jones,

all oen to tourists. he neihborhood is also home to

Dance place and the site or new artist lie-work units.

CALLENGES

For all its current success and uture romise, the creatie

economy in Washinton, DC does ace a number o

challenes that could limit uture rowth. he inaccurate

but linerin ercetion o DCs creatiity as lain

behind that o other cities such as ew York and Chicao

hamers actiity in seeral sub-elds, notably buildin

arts and erormin arts, as does a shortae o aordable

sace or artist housin, start-u creatie enterrises, and

the roduction o creatie oods. Many o the Districts

incredible assets, such as its rich international culture,

hae not been eectiely leeraed and the tourism

inrastructure is not structured to maximize isitation to

the citys cultural enues or assets throuhout its dierse

neihborhoods. While there is a stron suort system

that underlies the creatie economy, its eectieness

has been somewhat constrained by a lack o eectie

coordination and leadershi as well as limited cross-

sement and cross-enerational networkin. nd, while

the entrereneurial enery and otential is reat, the

District has not taken ull adantae o the considerable

oortunities or business deeloment and job rowth in

some o its creatie industries.

ACTON AGENDA

Shorter-term ressures rom the recession threaten to

undo some recent rowth in the creatie economy and

hae ut additional ressures on many o the indiidual

artists, nonrot cultural oranizations, and creatie

businesses in the District. he ction enda oers a

clear and structured ction enda to saeuard ains to

this oint and to accelerate roress toward the economic

and cultural objecties that underin so much creatie

sector actiity in Washinton. hat enda addresses a

rane o challenes and oortunities and lays out six key

oals in the ollowin areas, with secic strateies and

actions or each:

CrEATvE SuPPOrT: enhancin the suort system

to take better adantae o the citys dee creatie

assets.

CrEATvE MArKETS: romotin the Districts creatie

economy and increasin the market or creatie

roducts.

CrEATvE yOuT: enablin youth to exlore and

caitalize uon their creatie talents.

CrEATvE WOrK: roidin new career oortunities

or residents and an enhanced talent ool or creatie

businesses and oranizations.

CrEATvE buSNESS: romotin new enterrise

deeloment and small business rowth amon

creatie rms and entrereneurs.

CrEATvE PLACES: deeloin a diersity o creatie

neihborhoods and saces throuhout the District.

MMEDATE PrOrTES

o create momentum or imlementin the strateies and

action stes, key District aencies in artnershi with the

Washinton, DC conomic partnershi and other riate

and nonrot stakeholders should lay a leadin role by

searheadin the ollowin immediate action rojects,

which can be undertaken in the short-term and can hel

lay the oundation or some o the loner-term strateies

and action stes:

nsure that the ndins and recommendations o the

Creative DC Action Agenda are linked to other city

lannin and inestment actiities (e.., DCCs

strateic lan, neihborhood reitalization eorts,

zonin udate, great Streets, and F) in order to

leerae resources related to riority rojects.


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While there is a strong support system

that underlies the creative economy,

its effectiveness has been somewhat

constrained by a lack of effective

coordination and leadership and

limited cross-segment and cross-

generational networking.

Coordinate a coalition o riate, nonrot, and ublic

sector stakeholders to work collectiely to moe the

ction enda orward.

Suort networkin oortunities within creatie

industry sements (e.., music, theatre, museum,

diital arts) as well as across sements that brin

toether the business community, creatie enterrises,

and nonrot cultural institutions more reularly to

discuss otential strateic artnershis.

ncrease isitor awareness o DCs creatie assets

by enhancin the isitor inormation system. orts

could include rethinkin the location and oeration o

the isitor center(s) in the city, lacin kiosks in the

neihborhoods, and more eectiely coordinatin

cultural calendars.

Coordinate with stakeholders rom the reen, retail,

and creatie industries to make roress on immediate

syneristic rojects that leerae ublic, riate, and

nonrot resources and artnershis.

Oranize a creatie sacender initiatie that

roides inormation on the aailability and location

o creatie saces throuhout the city, and matches

creaties in need o sace with roerty owners,

deeloers, and brokers. Matchin strateies could

include in-erson orums as well as a web-based tool

that acts as a clearinhouse o inormation.

mlement a tareted roram that actiates acant

and underutilized sace on a temorary basis with

creatie uses. orts include identiyin ublicly- and/

or riately-owned sites or creatie temorary uses

and inestiatin undin oortunities.

Coordinate oortunities or the deeloment o

aordable housin and lie-work sace, and roide

ublic sector assistance as aroriate (or examle,

ia ublic-riate artnershis, nancin, land

disositions, and zonin suort).

S g FOWS, g DOO DvSOS, C, 2009


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Introduction

As visitors discover the wealth of

talented people, entertaining events,

and interesting places in Washingtons

neighborhoods, many will come to see

the District as a return destination

rather than a one-time place to visit.

n 2008, 16.6 million isitors to Washinton, DC enjoyed

attractions such as the White ouse, the Caitol, the

incoln Memorial, the museums o the Smithsonian

nstitution, and other well-known symbols o mericas

roud history. But the city oers a lethora o other

cultural and creatie assets beyond the usual sihtseeindestinations on and around the Mall o which many

isitors are larely unaware.

Within inormed circles, Washintons reutation

as a center or creatie endeaors is well established.

n its rankin o the countrys larest 25 cities with

to art destinations,American Style Magazine

laced Washinton, DC third.2 his suests a reat

oortunity to reach tourists lookin to enjoy actiities

and exeriences outside the citys established

ersona. s isitors discoer the wealth o talented

eole, entertainin eents, and interestin laces in

Washintons neihborhoods, many will come to see the

District as a return destination rather than a one-time

lace to isit.

Beyond tourism, a oundation is in lace or ciic,

business, and nonrot leaders to osition Washinton

as a world-class center o arts, culture, desin, and

media. s the center o national ublic lie, the city

boasts a tremendous concentration o media enterrises,

rom news bureaus to lm crews. lonside the arious

layers o oernment is a ast rane o ibrant ethnic

cultures, arts, and oods. Washintons imressiearray o education institutions maintains a ieline o

both talented creatie workers and eole recetie to

the roducts o their eorts, and oers a ateway to

oortunity and a source o creatie serices in addition

to suortin the entertainment and cultural scene

throuh erormances, lectures, and exhibits.

ll o these elements make DC one o the worlds

hot sots o creatiity. Yet desite the intensity o the

creatie economy, its alue is not ully areciated

and its otential is not ully realized. his is due in art

to the imortance o creatie enterrises and work in

the economic lie o the community not hain been

ealuated and studied.

he Creative DC Action Agenda was commissioned

by the DC Ofce o plannin in artnershi with the

Washinton, DC conomic partnershi. particiatin

vC ggOS /


14/80


aencies include the DC Commission on the rts

and umanities and the Deartment o ousin and

Community Deeloment. he ction enda seeks to

roide a more accurate measure o the economic alue o

the creatie economy to Washinton, DC and alies the

same analytic tools to the creatie sector as to any other

sector o the economy. t ealuates the creatie sector as a

set o economic enterrises, includin their emloyees and

alue chains (i.e., their suliers, roducers, distributors,

and markets). he characteristic that sets these enterrises

aart rom those in other sectorsin other words, what

makes them creatieis that the exerience associated

with the creatie or cultural content o their oods or

serices adds economic alue.

he ndins and recommendations or the ction

enda emere rom an intensie yearlon research

rocess that inoled the collection and analysis o

economic data; an inentory o key cultural assets

includin theaters, alleries, museums, artist housin and

worksace, and community art centers; and interiews

and ocus rous with close to 200 indiiduals in the

District who are inoled in the ull rane o creatie

industries and suort oranizations.3

he Creative DC Action Agenda seeks to underscore

the imortance o Washintons creatie economy and

to suest that the city can derie sinicant economic

benet rom the rudent manaement o this aluable

resource by the ublic, riate, and nonrot sectors.

While each neihborhood boasts its own resources

and needs, the citys creatie economy as a whole is

sufciently lare, dierse, and ibrant both to roide

exandin emloyment and economic oortunities to

residents and businesses and to suort a world-class

rane o cultural actiities and entertainment or isitors.

he scale o emloyment in the enterrises inoled

in the creatie economyand the remarkable talents o

those who are emloyed in this sectormake a owerul

case or ayin closer attention to strateies that can

encourae economic rowth. his analysis o the citys

creatie economy sets orth an ction enda that will

leerae the citys wide rane o creatie assets and

exand economic oortunities and benets to more

eectiely reach all o its residents and neihborhoods by:

Suortin actions to reitalize undersered

neihborhoods throuh arts and creatie uses

(income, business, emloyment, and actiity

eneration);

proidin oortunities or youth, entrereneurs, and

the underemloyed;

elin to oster a sense o lace or all

neihborhoods;

nlienin communities throuh actie uses, includin

acant and underutilized sites;

eerain lannin and ublic inestment eorts; and

Better utilizin and connectin the citys economic

suort systemsarticularly its education and

workorce deeloment systems.

he Creative DC Action Agenda roides the ramework

to leerae the comellin strenths o the Districts

creatie economy and to manae its sinicant challenes

throuh the ollowin six oals:

CrEATvE SuPPOrT: enhancin the suort system

to take better adantae o the citys dee creatie

assets.

CrEATvE MArKETS: romotin the Districts creatie

economy and increasin the market or creatie

roducts.

CrEATvE yOuT: enablin youth to exlore and

caitalize uon their creatie talents.

CrEATvE WOrK: roidin new career oortunities

or residents and an enhanced talent ool or creatie

businesses and oranizations.

CrEATvE buSNESS: romotin new enterrise

deeloment and small business rowth amon

creatie rms and entrereneurs.

CrEATvE PLACES: deeloin a diersity o creatie

neihborhoods and saces throuhout the District.


15/80


Washinton, DC has an enormous oortunity to build

uon the existin and otential strenths o the creatie

economy in ways that create jobs, attract and retain

ital human and nancial caital, and roduce an een

hiher quality o lie or its residents. On June 18, 2009,

a USA Todayheadline read, Washinton is morhin

into a retty cool district.4 n the words o one teleision

executie, he ercetion outside o DC is that its a

haenin lace with a charismatic new leader in town

and a reitalized social scene. he ollowin ction

enda describes the ull scale and scoe o the creatie

economy, the assets on which the city can build, and

what it will take to make sure that the city ullls the

romise associated with the creatie economy or all o

its neihborhoods and residents.


16/80


17/80


Th economic signifcnc o

th Crtiv sctor in Whington, DC

fGurE 1: The Ceatie Secto vale Chain

OriginatiOn

WS

pS

SCUpOS

pOOgpS

COOgpS

SS

O DSgS

DSCp CCS

gpC DSgS

FSO DSgS

CCS

CFS

COMpOSS

SOgWS

MUSCS

PrOductiOn

Media and cOMMunicatiOns

FM D vDO pODUCO

DO D v

DvSg

gpCS D MUMD

PerfOrMing arts

MUSC, DC

culinary arts

Cg

OC FU SvC SUS

SpC FOOD SOS

Visual arts and crafts/

designer PrOducts

CFS SUDOS

FMg SOpS

Building artsCCU D O DSg

DSCp CCU

MuseuMs and Heri tage

SOO & pSvO

B DSg

Means Of distriButiOn

MD D -pFOMS

gSpFOMC vUS

FSvS

WOSS

BS, MUSUMS

reacHing Market

OC

gO

O

O

suPPOrt serVices

Business serVices educatiOn gOVernMent netwOrks

DEfNNG TE CrEATvE SECTOr

he concets o the creatie economy, creatie class, and

creatiesectorhae made their way into common usae

in recent years, yet there is no clear consensus on what

these terms mean. he word creative itsel is a moin

taret, exandin and contractin to t the oals and

missions o its users. o some, it describes any economic

actiity that inoles imaination or oriinality. o others,

the ocus is limited to more traditional arts and cultural

actiities. For many, creatie alies to the enironment,

reerrin to a lace that aeals to the so-called creatie

class: the broadly dened knowlede workers whom

many cities are tryin to attract.

he Creative DC Action Agenda iews the creatie

sector throuh the same analytical lens alied to other

sectors such as technoloy, manuacturin, or healthcare.

he ocus is on jobs and economic oortunities

associated with the deeloment o industries that sere

as economic enines or a reional economy. ccordinly,

the secic denition o the creative sectorused or this

analysis is:

Enterprises in which creative content is central toboth the cultural and economic values of what they

produce. These include businesses, individuals, and

organizations involved at every stage of the creative

process, including conception, production, and initial

presentation of the product.


18/80


he creative economyis een more comrehensie

than the creatie sector, since it includes creatie talent

and creatie neihborhoods that toether contribute to

makin a community a more ital and cometitie lace.

he creatie sector oerates as an economic roduction

system with alue chains that extend rom the raw

materials, equiment, and sources o learnin throuh

the suort systems, distribution channels, and marketin

outlets. (See Fiure 1.)

ery creatie industry starts with the oriinators:

the laywriht, comoser, artist, che, and desiner. t

the next stae o roduction, creatiity is conerted into

consumer oods throuh ublishers and rinters; lm,

ideo, and music roduction comanies; adertisers;

and manuacturers. Finally, creatie roducts reach the

ublic throuh media comanies distributin lm and

ideo throuh multile enues; alleries sellin art; and

museums and libraries roidin access or cultural

roducts to the ublic.

lthouh the creatie sector essentially incororates

the same eneral industries in all communities, it does

dier rom one local economy to another based on

the secic conditions, economic relationshis, and

historic culture o dierent laces. s such, interiews

and ocus rous held with hundreds o indiiduals in

the Washinton, DC creatie community heled roide

a deeer understandin o the secic strenths and

relationshis within the creatie sector in the District.

Based uon this inut and an initial analysis o the

economic data, the creatie actiities in the city were

urther roued into the ollowin six creatie sements:5

MuSEuMS AND ErTAGE includes the museums,

libraries, and historical assets in the citys

neihborhoods, includin ederal institutions such as

the Smithsonian, the ational rchies, and the ibrary

o Conress.

buLDNG ArTS comrises those comanies that aly

creatie content to the citys built enironment and

includes architecture, landscae architecture, and

interior desin.

CuLNAry ArTS is the subset o the ood rearation

industry that includes all cookin-related actiities

in which aesthetics and creatie content are critical

elements. he sement includes only locally-owned

ood establishments, ull-serice restaurants, ourmet

ood shos, and caterers.

PErfOrMNG ArTS comrises theater, music, dance,

and soken word and the erormers, romoters,

roducers, directors, and technicians needed to brin

the erormin arts to the ublic.

MEDA AND COMMuNCATONS coers traditional

media (books, journals, newsaers, radio, teleision,

and lm) and new media, as well as the rahic

and multimedia desiners that serice this industry

and the adertisin and ublic relations rms that

communicate ideas or distribution to the media.

vSuAL ArTS AND CrAfTS/DESGNEr PrODuCTS is

the sement most oten associated with the creatie

economythe ainters, hotorahers, scultors,

otters, lassblowers, metal artists, jewelers, ashion

desiners, and other artisans who create roducts and

the alleries and enues that dislay and sell them.

n the next section, the ction enda rst looks to

measure the direct emloyment and waes associated

with the creatie sector in Washinton, DC and then

considers more broadly the multile dimensions o the

creatie economy and how each contributes to the

Districts itality.

DrECT EMPLOyMENT N TE CrEATvESECTOr N WASNGTON, DC

past studies hae souht to quantiy the economic

imortance o cities arts and cultural actiities by

alyin comlex economic imact models that ocused

rimarily on nonrot arts and cultural institutions and

tried to estimate the amount o money that residents

and tourists sent isitin these institutions. n contrast,

the methodoloy that inorms this analysis catures

data on the direct jobs associated with the roduction o


19/80


fGurE 2: The big PicteA Total o 90,368 Jos

Source: MS, 2007 US Deartment o abor Statistics, Quarterly Census o mloyment a

Waes, 2006 US Census NonemployerStatistics

O-Cv

WOKS

Cv

pSS

54,212

Cv WOKS

Cv

pSS

21,140

Cv

WOKS

O-Cv

pSS

15,016

creatiVe enterPrise: 75,352 direct JOBs

creatiVe talent: 36,156 J

oods and serices in articular industries while omittin

multilier, or secondary, imacts. s such, it roides a

relatiely (and intentionally) conseratie measure o

the direct emloyment associated with enterrises and

workers enaed in creatie, content-related industries.

o ully understand the economic imortance o the

Districts creatie sector, one must consider the scale

and scoe o two critical and oerlain comonents

creatie enterrises and the creatie workorce. (See

Fiure 2.)

he analysis o direct emloyment includes all o the

jobs associated with emloyers in that sector, rom clerical

and manaement jobs to more secialized technical jobs.

For examle, a measure o total emloyment includes the

clerical sta at an architecture rm (non-creatie workers

in a creatie enterrise) as well as the architects (creatie

workers in a creatie enterrise). By this methodoloy,

enterrises in the creatie sector in Washinton, DC

account or a total o 75,352 direct jobs. (See Fiure 2.)

But enterrises are just one art o the icture.

housands o creatie workers are emloyed in other

sectors o the economy that miht not be classied

as creatie: an architect could work or a construction

comany or teach architecture at a uniersity (neither o

which are considered to be in the creatie sector). mon

the workers in the District who use their creatie talents

in other sectors o the economy are artists workin as

teachers, musicians who nd emloyment in the citys

reliious institutions, and rahic desiners who work or

the many associations that are headquartered in the city.

ll told, there are 15,016 additional creatie sector jobs in

Washinton that inole creatie talent workin outside

o creatie enterrises. (See Fiure 2.)

hus, countin both emloyment in creatie

enterrises and emloyment related to creatie workers

emloyed outside o the creatie sector yields a total o

90,368 direct jobs in Washinton, DCs creatie sector.

Ceatie Entepises

he citys creatie enterrises include nonrot cultural

institutions, commercial businesses that roduce and

distribute creatie roducts, and the thousands o sel-

emloyed indiiduals, each o whom is, in eect, an

entrereneur seekin to roduce and successully market

his or her roduct to the consumer.

MPOrTANCE TO TE WASNGTON, DC ECONOMy

mloyment in the creatie sector in the District accounts

or a sizable share o the citys oerall emloyment. s

noted aboe, a conseratie estimate o direct creatie

sector emloyment is 75,352, or about 10 ercent o the

total jobs in the District.

Thousands of creative workers are

employed in other sectors of the

economy that might not be classied

as creative.


20/80


creatiVe enterPrises

E75,352 DC JOBS

E10, 250 SBSMS

E

$5 BO U gS E10% OF O MpOYM

COvD MpOYM

52,341

SF-MpOYD

6,760

gOvM MpOYM

16,251

CArT 1: Total Jos in Ceatie Entepises: 75,352

ote: Coered emloyment includes jobs coered by Unemloyment nsurance.

Source: U.S. Deartment o abor, Quarterly Census o mloyment and Waes 2007

and U.S. Census Bureau, onemloyer Statistics 2006.

lthouh DCs creatie sector roides so many jobs,

this sector has not been ully reconized as an imortant

comonent o the citys economy. his is due in art

to traditional economic studies missin two imortant

comonents o the economic actiity in the creatie

sector: the lare number o sel-emloyed indiiduals and

those emloyed in oernment-related creatie actiity,

a articularly imortant art o the creatie sector in

Washinton, DC ien the ederal resence. (See Chart 1.)

Sel-emloyed indiiduals in Washinton, DCs creatie

economythe musician who teaches students, lays in

one or more musical rous, and accomanies a local

church choir, or the writer who earns her liin throuh

multile reelance assinmentsenerate sinicant

total income. ccordin to the Nonemployer Statistics

ublished by the U.S. Census Bureau, in Washinton, DC,

in 2006, close to 7,000 enterrises were oerated by sole

rorietors who were essentially sel-emloyed. hese

indiiduals earned a total o $237 million in 2006 throuh

their creatie actiities.

preious studies o the economy in the District hae

also missed the lare number o creatie jobs embedded

in the ederal oernment. conseratie estimate is that

there are 16,251 ederal oernment jobs in Washinton

directly related to creatie industries. (See able 1.) his

includes workers emloyed at the Smithsonian nstitution,

the ational rchies, the ibrary o Conress, the

Kennedy Center or the perormin rts, the goernment

printin Ofce, and other institutions that inole creatie

roducts that are art o the ederal oernment.

ankins o key industries in Washinton, DC usually

start with healthcare, membershi associations, and

technoloy. More recently, there has been a ocus on reen

jobs. one looks at nonoernmental, wae and salary

emloyment in the District, the creatie industries rank

relatiely hih. For examle, the recent study by the DC

Ofce o plannin, in conjunction with the Washinton,

DC conomic partnershi and the DC Deartment o

mloyment Serices, District of Columbia Green Collar

Jobs Demand Analysis Final Report, ound a total o

25,167 jobs, and a 2008 study by e reorted a total o

35,600 technoloy jobs in the District.6 U.S. Deartment o

abor statistics or 2007 reorted a total o 47,660 jobs in

membershi associations and oranizations and

53,303 jobs in healthcare and social assistance. he 52,351

non-oernmental, wae and salary jobs in the creatie

sector exceeds or is comarable to these other industries.

KEy SEGMENTS Of TE CrEATvE SECTOr

Both in terms o jobs and waes, the most imortant

sement o Washintons creatie sector is media and

communications. his sement suorts nearly hal o

all creatie sector jobs in the city, and ays well oer hal

o the total waes in the creatie sector. Museums and

heritae is the next most imortant, accountin or

14 ercent o both emloyment and waes. Buildin arts


21/80


industrygOVernMent

eMPlOyMent

MUSUMS, SOC SS, OOS, D pKS 5,149

BS D CvS 3,914

pg D D SUppO CvS 3,538

CCU SvCS 2,071

pFOMg S COMpS 1,108

FU-SvC SUS 393

WSpp pUBSS 78

tOtal 16,251

Source: U.S. Deartment o abor, Quarterly Census o mloyment and Waes, erae nnual 2007

TAbLE 1: fedeal Goenment Emploment in Ceatie Secto in Washington, DC

roides only 10 ercent o jobs, but 12 ercent o waes,

while the culinary arts sement o the creatie economy

suorts nearly 25 ercent o emloyment within the

sector, but ays only 9 ercent o the waes. (See able 2.)

Sel-emloyed indiiduals dominate the more traditional

cultural sectors o isual arts and erormin arts. s one

miht exect, reelancers and sole rorietors are most

TAbLE 2: Emploment in the Ceatie Secto Majo Segments

JOBs wage s

creatiVe seg Me nt eMPlOyMent Percentage wages (000s) Perce ntage

CUY S 18 ,125 24.1% $468,509 9.2%

BUDg S 7,566 10.0% $610,503 12 .0%

MD D COMMUCOS 32,132 42 .6% $3,045,668 59.8%

MUSUMS D g 10,454 13 .9% $718 ,889 14 .1%

vSU S 2,1 16 2 .8% $73,952 1 .5%

pFOMg S 4,959 6.6% $172,513 3.4%

tOtal creatiVe 75, 352 100% $5,090,034 100%

Source: U.S. Deartment o abor, Quarterly Census o mloyment and Waes, erae nnual 2007; U.S. Census NonemployerStatistics, 2006; and MS

realent in the more traditional arts and cultural sements

o the creatie economy. Many indiidual musicians, isual

artists, actors, and cratseole make their liin by iecin

toether a ariety o reelancin assinments. Some

may be teachin their art and thus be classied not as

artists, but as teachers. Moreoer, a ortion o the income

associated with their work likely is not ully reorted. n


22/80


In the visual arts segment, self-

employed individuals hold well over

half of the measured jobs, and there is

a high likelihood that ofcial statistics

substantially undercount employment

and wages in these segments.

connection clearly exists between the actiities o the

citys multile art museums and the artists and alleries in

the isual arts sement.

Concentation o Emploment relatie to the Geate

Washington, DC region and the u.S.

Jobs in creatie enterrises make u a larer comonent

o the Districts economic base than is true in the larer

Washinton Metroolitan Statistical (MS) reion.7

Secically, the roortion o jobs in the creatie sector

is hiher in Washinton, DC than in both the Washinton

MS and the country as a whole. Since comarable

statistics on oernment creatie jobs are not aailable or

the Washinton MS reion, the comarison only includes

non-oernmental emloyment. s Chart 2 illustrates, in

Washinton, DC, creatie sector jobs account or close

to 12 ercent o all non-oernmental emloyment,

comared to 9 ercent in the reion and 8 ercent in the

U.S. oerall.

n eneral, the District has a disroortionately lare

share o all creatie sector emloyment in the Washinton

MS reion. While Washinton, DC only accounts or

about 17 ercent o all o the jobs in the Washinton MS,

about 27 ercent o the non-oernmental creatie jobs

are located within the District. n some sements o the

creatie economy, the city is clearly the location o choice

or creatie comanies. (See Chart 3.)

While it is not surrisin that a lare share o the

the isual arts sement, sel-emloyed indiiduals hold

well oer hal o the measured jobs, and there is a hih

likelihood that ofcial statistics substantially undercount

emloyment and waes in these sements. n erormin

arts, close to a third are sel-emloyed.

One distinctie actor about the creatie sector

in Washinton, DC is the considerable oerla

between sements within it, a reality that comlicates

cateorization but also hels catalyze additional

economic actiity. For examle, ational georahic has

a museum, xlorers all, but is also art o the media

industry (its maazine and cable channel); the Buildin

Museum is art o both the museum/heritae and

buildin arts sements; caterers within the culinary arts

sement may roide a lare ercentae o their serices

to the museums and erormin arts sements; many o

the citys art centers hae both alleries or isual artists

as well as enues or the erormin arts; and a close

ource: U.S. Deartment o abor, Census o mloyment and Waes, erae 2007

CArT 2: Piate Ceatie Emploment as

Pecentage o Total Piate Emploment

UD SS

WSgO

MS gO

WSgO, DC

8%

9%

12%



23/80


CArT 4: Concentation o Emploment

Ceatie Segment in DC Compaed to the uS

reions jobs in museums and heritae is located in

Washinton, the city also has a ery hih roortion o

the jobs in media and buildin arts, with 33 ercent o all

media and communications ositions and 37 ercent o

buildin arts jobs. Only in isual arts and erormin arts,

where sace and cost considerations roide a stron

motiation or rms to locate outside the District roer,

does the city account or a smaller share o reional jobs.

mloyment in many o DCs creatie sements is

also extremely hih relatie to the U.S. as a whole. ery

creatie sement in DC has a location quotientthe

ratio o emloyment within a secic occuation in

Washinton, DC oer the same measure in the entire

United Statesaboe 1.0, meanin that the ercentae

o total emloyment in that sement in the District is

hiher than in the U.S. oerall. he buildin arts sement

is articularly lare in relatie terms, with nearly three-

and-a-hal times as much emloyment on a ercentae

basis. n addition, both the media and the museums and

heritae sements (een without includin the 5,000

ederal museum jobs), hae oer two times the roortion

o emloyment than does the U.S. oerall. (See Chart 4.)

CrEATvE SECTOr EMPLOyMENT GrOWT

prior to the current economic downturn, emloyment in

the creatie sector in the District rew at a aster rate than

in the Washinton MS or the U.S. as a whole.

n the e-year eriod between 2002 and 2007,

the city added 4,200 new jobs in creatie enterrises

with emloyees, as well as about 1,200 jobs in sole-

rorietorshis. Durin this eriod, in terms o ercentae

rowth, emloyment amon the citys sel-emloyed has

exceeded rowth in traditional wae emloyment, with thenumber o sel-emloyed creatie indiiduals increasin by

oer 25 ercent. s Chart 5 shows, oerall creatie sector

emloyment rowth in the District comared aorably to

both reional and national job rowth rates.

he six sements o the creatie sector in the District

ared ery dierently in the years beore the current

recession. Between 2002 and 2007, the buildin arts

CArT 3: Distict Ceatie Emploment

as Pecent o the MSA

Source: U.S. Deartment o abor, Quarterly Census o mloyment and Waes, 2007

MUSUMS & g

MD & COMMUCOS

pFOMg S

BUDg S

CUY S

vSU S

tOtal creatiVe

tOtal eMPlOyMent

18%

46%

32 %

28%

37 %

20%

27 %

18%

The proportion of jobs in the creative

sector is higher in Washington, DC

than in both the Washington MSA and

the country as a whole.

tOtal creatiVe

pFOMg

vSU

g

MD

BUDg S

CUY

0.00 0.50 1 . 50 2.00 2 .50 3.00 3 .50 4.

lOcatiOn QuOtien

pOpOO OF

MpOYM

Cv SgM

DC

pOpOO OF

MpOYM

Cv SgM

US

Source: U.S. Deartment o abor, Quarterly Census o mloyment and Waes, 2007


24/80


in the District.8 On the other hand, the District saw a

decline in the media and communications sement,

with sinicant job losses in ublishin, sotware,

teleision broadcastin, lm, and rintin. he losses

in these industries are due to larer national trends and

restructurin. On a ercentae basis, job losses in this

sement in Washinton, DC were lower than those in

the reion or nationwide. (See Chart 6.)

The Ceatie Wokoce

Washinton, DC is rich in creatie talent. Oerall,

Washinton, DC has more than 36,000 jobs in 39 creatie

occuations in both creatie and non-creatie industries.

n addition to the thousands o creatie indiiduals who

work within the creatie sector, the District has 15,000

indiiduals who are in creatie occuations, but emloyed

outside o the creatie sector. (See endix 2 or a ull

list o creatie occuations.)

CONCENTrATON Of CrEATvE TALENT

he concentration o creatie talent within selected

CArT 5: Ceatie Secto Emploment Gowth 20022007

ource: MS Coered mloyment, U.S. Census: NonemployerStatistics 2006; and US Bureau oabor Statistics, Quarterly Census o mloyment and Waes

DC

MS

US

9%

6%

5%

8%

5%

8%

Percent JOB grOwtH

O Cv

O pv

CArT 6: Gowth Tends b Segment 20022007

Source: MS Coered mloyment, and US Bureau o abor Statistics, Quarterly Census o mloyment and Waes, 2007

CUlinarY

PercentJOBgrOwtH

BUilDing

artS

perFOrMing

artS

MUSeUMS

&h

eritage

viSUal

artS/CraFtS

MeD

ia&C

OMM

UniCatiOnS2

4%

17%

13%

27%

17%

16%

-2%

-10%

-6%

10%

20%

10%

5%

29%

6

%

5% 1% 7

%

DC

MS

US

and culinary sements exerienced the most raid

rowth o the sements studied. Durin this eriod,

architectural serices added close to 1,000 jobs in

Washinton, DC. Culinary jobs also rew raidly, with

an additional 3,900 jobs in ull-serice restaurants


25/80


TAbLE 3: Top Ceatie Occpations in DC relatie Concentation

OccuPatiOn2007 Median

HOurly earnings

2007 lOcatiOn

QuOtient

SS D D WOKS, O $36.93 18 .42

MUSUM CCS D COSvOS $26.05 9.54

WS D UOS $32 .14 8 .67

pUBC OS SpCSS $39.85 7.37

MD D COMMUCO QUpM WOKS $41 .36 6.98

DO OpOS $46.06 5 .51

CvSS $33 .93 5.25

pOS D COSpODS $32 .22 5.13

DOS $29.60 5.06

BODCS WS YSS $35.35 4.78

BODCS CCS $25.15 4.36

S D B DSgS $27.11 3 .49

pODUCS D DCOS $36.09 3.16

CM Op OS, v, v DO, D MOO pC U $31 .97 3 .00

MUSCS D SgS $17.41 2 .83

CC WS $30.20 2 .70

aVerage all creatiVe OccuPatiOns in dc $33.73 2.89

Source: MS Occuational eort

creatie occuations in Washinton is sinicant when

comared to the U.S., as well as to other cities.

n relatie terms, the citys creatie talent ool is esecially

stron within articular creatie occuations. he

occuational location quotient is articularly hih or

creatie occuations related to museums and libraries(museum technicians and archiists) as well as occuations

related to the media sement (writers, ublic relations,

media and communication workers, radio oerators,

creatiVe wOrkfOrce

E 36,156 WOKS COMpSD OF:

15, 000 WOKS OUSD Cv pSS

21, 140 WOKS Cv pSS

E $33.75 vg Wg

E 2.89 OCO QUO

Overall, Washington, DC has more

than 36,000 jobs in 39 creative

occupations in both creative and

non-creative industries.

camera oerators, and technicians). (See able 3.)

While this occuational data is based on lace o

work, comaratie data that looks at the occuations

o residents based on the 2000 Census also roide

eidence o a ery dee talent ool in the city and the

Washinton MS. study by economist nn Markusen9

o artistic concentration in the to 29 U.S. metro areas

ranked the Washinton, DC reion ourth, trailin only


26/80


os neles, ew York, and San Francisco in terms o

concentration o artistic talent. he study ound that

the reion ranked articularly hih in concentration o

erormin artists, authors, and architects.

EMPLOyMENT OPPOrTuNTES

While there are lenty o starin artists, and the

aerae waes o creatie occuations such as actors,

isual artists, and musicians remain relatiely low, waes

or jobs in creatie occuations are actually hiher than

the oerall aerae wae in Washinton, DC ($33.73 er

hour or creatie occuations s. $31.30 or DC oerall10).

n addition, while many creatie occuations call or a

bachelors deree or aboe, others require only on-the-job

trainin or ostsecondary ocational dereesthouh,

or the most art, the better ayin jobs are those that

require hiher educational attainment. (See able 4.)

TAbLE 4: Ceatie Occpations Not reqiing bachelos Degee

OccuPatiOn educatiOnal reQuire Ments

BY CC pOSSCODY vOCO

UDO-vSU COCOS SpCSS MOD-M O--JOB g

CFS S Og-M O--JOB g

F S Og-M O--JOB g

FSO DSg SSOCS Dg

O DSg SSOCS Dg

MCDS DSpY MOD-M O--JOB g

CO Og-M O--JOB g

DC Og-M O--JOB g

MUSC Og-M O--JOB g

DO OUC Og-M O--JOB g

MD D COMMUCOS WOK Og-M O--JOB g

UDO D vDO QUpM CC Og-M O--JOB g

BODCS CC SSOCS Dg

DO OpO MOD-M O--JOB g

SOUD gg CCS pOSSCODY vOCO

CM OpOS MOD-M O--JOB g

Source: MS Occuational eort

ote: ducational requirements are not secic to DC.

bEyOND TE DrECT JObS

he hih leel o direct emloyment enerated throuh

creatie enterrises in Washinton roides the basis

or continued substantial ublic sector attention and

riate sector inestment. But the economic benets o

inestments in Washinton, DCs creatie economy o

well beyond the number o direct jobs. (See Fiure 3.)

Attacting visitos

he citys creatie industries are a key art o the tourism

roduct o Washinton, DC. he economic analysis

o the creatie sector has considered only the direct

emloyment associated with creatie workers and

creatie enterrises. But the creatie talent in the city and

its creatie enterrises also add to the cometitieness o


27/80


other sectors o the Washinton, DC economy. he most

obious examle is the citys hositality industry, which

caters to tourists and other leisure traelers, business

traelers, and conention attendees. he most recent

reort on Washinton, DCs trael and tourism industry

ound that 16.6 million isitors came to the city in 2008,

sendin $5.6 billion and eneratin $618 million in

local tax reenue.11 While many isitors still ocus their

attentions on the Mall, DCs arts and cultural oerins,

rom theaters and music to alleries and neihborhood

restaurants, oer another comellin draw and are

clearly art o the tourism roduct marketed by the

District. nother study by the adocacy oranization

mericans or the rts ound that in 2005 oer 5 million

isitors rom outside the Washinton MS attended an

arts and cultural eent in the reion, sendin a total o

$431 million.12

ATTrACTNG TALENT

s the national and lobal labor markets continue to shit,

the economic cometitieness o a city is increasinly

related to its ability to attract hihly educated indiiduals.

rowin number o these knowlede workers make

decisions about where to lie based on their alues,

desired amenities, and community sensibilities, and

then look or work in their location o choice. For that

ery reason, comanies that deend on an educated

and talented labor ool increasinly choose those same

locations.

n its reort, The Young and Restless in a Knowledge

Economy, COs or Cities noted, t is difcult to oerstate

the imact that the collee-educated 25 to 34 year-olds

we call the Youn and estless will hae on a citys utureroserity. hey are well-educated, adatable, mobile and

relatiely inexensie, comrisin an imortant art o the

so-called creatie class. With risin demand or their skills

and with cometition or them now on a lobal scale,

cities must be manets or these hihly-coeted workers

or they will ail, because in the knowlede economy, it

is the creatiity and talent inherent in a citys workorce

that will shae its economic oortunities13 conomic

deeloment exerts reconize the increased attention to

amenities, or quality o lace, by this mobile cohort and,

thereore, hae been more willin to inest in arts and

culture as art o the attraction ackae.

Washintons dierse, ibrant, and rowin creatie

sector adds owerully to its locational aeal to these

hih-alue workers. While secic data that ties the

locational decisions o the citys residents to its creatie

assets are not aailable, interiews and ocus rous

fige 3: beond the Diect JosThe boade Economic benets o the Ceatie Econom

g JOBS

C C vSOS

Sp YOUSg

gBOOODS

CC

OvO

Cv COOMY


28/80


reealed the rowin aeal o DC as a location o choice

or hihly educated and creatie indiiduals. he word is

out that the District has an economy beyond the ederal

oernment and now has a rowin arts scene. n July

2009, United van ines reorted that Washinton, DC was

the nations most oular miration destination.14 he new

administration and the interest enerated in Washinton,

DC resultin rom this chane is clearly art o the reason.

But, the District is also becomin a location o choice or

collee raduates lookin or a ibrant urban exerience.

Further strenthenin the creatie sector in the city and

reion would reinorce a irtuous cycle in this reard.

rEvTALzNG NEGbOrOODS

globally, there is rowin eidence o the ital role that

arts and culture can lay in helin to reitalize urban

centers and city neihborhoods. n act, many cities hae

aressiely souht to attract artists as a catalyst to

reitalizin urban neihborhoods.

walk throuh Washintons neihborhoods

shows how owerully the arts can inuence quality

o lie. From the reitalization o the 14th and U street

corridor, to Downtown DC where a bureonin theater

district with seen dierent erormin arts enues

hae created a ibrant retail and housin market, to

the emerin actiity on Street, home to the tlas

perormin rts Center and Street playhouse as well

as new music and arts enues, Washintons artists

and cultural assets hae layed a sinicant role in

strenthenin the city as a lace to lie, work, learn, and

sho. etailers throuhout the city also reconize that

culinary arts, art alleries, and erormin arts enues

are imortant assets in helin to increase economic

actiity and reenues in the citys key shoin districts.

he challene here is to reconize that the orces

created throuh arts and cultural actiities are actually

so stron that arallel eorts must be made to ensure

that low-income neihborhood residents also benet

rom the resultin economic chanes.

NSPrNG TE CTyS yOuT

here is a considerable body o research on the role o

the arts in student achieement. 2002 research study,

Critical Links, summarized a wide rane o studies on the

connection between the arts and academic achieement

and social deeloment. his research roided

eidence that the arts had a ositie imact on student

achieement in terms o academic skills, eneral thinkin

skills, social skills, and motiation to learn.15

idence o the role o the creatie sector in insirin

youth in the District, howeer, is larely anecdotal. Within

the District, youth enae with the arts throuh their

schools and throuh secialized ater-school and summer

rorams. he DC rts and umanities ducation

Collaboratie makes critical connections between the

Districts dierse cultural institutions and its schools,

roidin rorammin or more than 200,000 DC

students since 1988. ccordin to an ealuation o the

Collaboraties pilot School proram, teachers inoled

reorted that students imroed their learnin in arious

Washingtons artists and cultural

assets have played a signicant role

in strengthening the city as a place to

live, work, learn, and shop.



29/80


academic subjects, had imroed retention, exressible

skills, sel-condence, and better relationshis with

other students.16

isit to the citys Duke llinton ih School, the

Multi-Media rainin nstitute, or the classes oered at

the ational Buildin Museum shows the benets that

creatie actiity can yield or youn eole. ccordin to

the Duke llinton ih School, while the demorahic

characteristics o the students enterin the school are

reresentatie o the District, about 99 ercent o its

students raduate rom hih school and 95 ercent o

on to ostsecondary education, and the school has the

lowest truancy rate in the city. rts articiation in the

classroom, ater school, and oer the summer has not only

roided thousands o youn eole in the District with

athways to creatie careers, but, just as imortant, has

also insired students to stay in school and become more

deely committed to learnin.

ACCELErATNG NNOvATON AND

ENTrEPrENEurAL DEvELOPMENT

he considerable creatie and desin talent in Washinton

has also heled to romote innoation throuhout

the citys economy. he citys architects and interior

desiners hae enhanced the character o hotels and retail

establishments in the reion, and the sinicant creatie

talent in the city has become an imortant element in

suortin technoloy comanies. For examle, the citys

many desin studios hel their clients to build an nternet

resence and utilize new social networkin tools in order

to increase their markets. One need only look at the

ortolio o aunchBox Diital, a DC-based early-stae

inestment rm, to understand the entrereneurial owero the creatie sector and the critical role that creatie

talent is layin in the technoloy comanies that are

rowin in the District. Many o these start-u comanies

are inoled in media, desin, and communications, all key

industries in the creatie economy.


30/80



31/80


sgmnt Profl

MuseuMs and Heritage

E O JOBS DC 2007 10,454

E pCg OF gOW 2002-2007 10 %

E OCO QUO 2. 3

E pCg OF O Cv JOBS 14 %

E vg Wg $68,767

he creatie economy in the District o Columbia can be

broken into six distinct sements:

MuSEuMS AND ErTAGE

buLDNG ArTS

CuLNAry ArTS

PErfOrMNG ArTS

MEDA AND COMMuNCATONS

vSuAL ArTS AND CrAfTS/DESGNEr PrODuCTS

his section roides a descrition o each sement, a

discussion o the most common occuations, and the

Districts trainin and education resources, and challenes

and oortunities.

MuSEuMS AND ErTAGE

n 2007, Washinton could boast o hain the to

three entries (the Smithsonian atural istory and ir

and Sace Museums, and the ational gallery o rt) in

Forbes raelers rankin o the 25 most isited museums

in the U.S. hree other DC museums also made the list.

But while isitors clearly are aware o the Smithsonian

and other sites on the ational Mall, many o the citys

museums, as well as its extensie historic resources, ublic

monuments, rican-merican cultural sites, and historic

neihborhoods, are unamiliar to tourists. n total, there

are aroximately 90 museums in the city and oer 96

sites listed on the istoric eister.

Museums and heritae resources are the Districts

biest draw in attractin tourists and conention-oers

and their oerations hae a sinicant imact on the

citys economic health: the millions o isitors who come

to DC contribute oer $5.5 billion to the citys economy,

includin $620 million in tax reenues or the District o

Columbia. dditionally, enterrises in this sement o the

creatie sector directly emloy 10,454 indiiduals.17

nother measure o the economic imortance o

museums and heritae sites is their own sendin,

amountin to well oer $750 million annually.18 hese

exenditures reresent an additional economic

imact, with much o it used toprocure goods and

services in the Washinton area. For examle, many

o the museums outsource ood serices and security,

roidin hundreds o additional jobs beyond those

on the ayroll. he District also is home to a number

o secialized businesses that sere the needs o the

museum sector, includin comanies that secialize in art

storae, transortation, art handlin, exhibit desin, and

conseration and reseration.

Museums, libraries, and archies oer a wide rane

o occuations, rom low-skilled, entry-leel jobs, such

as attendant, to ositions that require ph.D.s. he area

has a sinicantly hiher concentration o hihly-skilled

technical occuations than is resent in the country as

a whole with archiists, museum technicians, exhibit

desiners, and librarians esecially realent. gien

the sinicant leel o conseration and reseration

actiities at the Smithsonian, ibrary o Conress (throuh

its merican Folklie Center), and the ational rchies,

there is an extremely hih concentration o skilled

conseration and reseration roessionals.

n terms o a talent ieline, Washinton has a number

o secialized trainin rorams or indiiduals interested


32/80


Many visitors remain within the main

tourist areas and do not experience the

variety of cultural destinations located in

neighborhoods.

in jobs in this sement. One o the most unusual and

ital resources in this resect is the Museum Studies

Deartment o the Duke llinton School o the rts,

which may be the only hih school roram in museum

studies in the U.S. With to-notch art history rorams

oered by collees and uniersities in the area, as well

as deree rorams related to museum and heritae

secialties, education and trainin otions in the museum

eld are lentiul. Fewer in number are rorams that

train and lace workers to ll some o the less skilled

ositions in the museums and heritae sement.

Challenges and Oppotnities

TE MuSEuMS AND ErTAGE STES LOCATED Off

TE MALL ArE NOT AS vSbLE AND WELL KNOWN AS

TE PrMAry TOurSM-rELATED ATTrACTONS. Many

isitors remain within the main tourist areas and do not

exerience the ariety o cultural destinations located in

neihborhoods. here is only one citywide isitor center19;

hotel concieres do not hae extensie inormation

aailable about the museums outside o the major

attractions; and a ercetion liners that oin beyond

the main tourist areas miht be unsae.

TE MuSEuMS N TE DSTrCT DO NOT AvE A STrONG

NETWOrK Or COLLAbOrATvE ENvrONMENT. While

cooeration amon the museums and between the

museums and other cultural institutions is not unknown,

the leel o collaboration is not as stron as it could

be. he absence o a stron conenin and adocacy

resence within the sement has entailed missed

oortunities in terms o market deeloment, education,

shared acilities, and other otential cost sains.

related issueand a ossible exlanation or the lack o a

stron and clear oice or the sementis that the non-

Smithsonian museums and historic sites suer to some

deree rom cometition with the Smithsonian, which

is ree to the ublic. collaboratie marketin initiatie

amon the museums and historic sites could add needed

scale to current audience deeloment eorts.

TErE ArE fEW COLLAbOrATvE WOrKfOrCE

DEvELOPMENT PArTNErSPS TAT PrOvDE TrANNG

fOr MuSEuM WOrKErS. While a number o jobs in the

museum sector require adanced derees, many jobs

inole more technical skills or customer serice-related

skills and could roide entry-leel emloyment or

disadantaed Washintonians. workorce roram that

oered a ieline into the industry alon with eneral

customer serice trainin could roide the museum

sector with a hiher quality workorce and residents o

the city with access to career athways in the museums.

ATTrACTNG NEW PrvATE AND SPECALzED NONPrOfT

MuSEuMS S AN ArEA Of POTENTAL OPPOrTuNTy.

n the last e years, Washinton has attracted three

new or-rot museums (the Sy Museum, the ational

Museum o Crime and punishment, and the Wax Museum)

as well as two nonrot museums (the ewseum and the

Marian Koshland Science Museum). here are currently

a number o additional museums in the lannin hase.

he city could consider romotin urther deeloment


33/80


Building arts

E O JOBS DC 2007 7,566

E pCg OF gOW 2002-2007 27 %

E OCO QUO 3. 4E pCg OF O Cv JOBS 10 %

E vg Wg $80,690

o museums and taret other or-rot museums that are

closer to entertainment.

buLDNG ArTS

he buildin arts sement includes architecture, interior

desin, and landscae architecture. he District is a

unique location or the buildin arts because o the

diersity o market oortunities it oers. hese include

the desin and construction needs o the ederal

oernment, cultural institutions, nonrot membershi

oranizations, orein oernments and international

aencies, and cororate and residential customers. he

sement emloyed a total o 7,566 workers in 2007,

showin a sinicantly hiher concentration than in

the nation as a whole. he architectural sub-sector

is articularly lare in relatie terms, with a location

quotient o 4.65 comared to the nation.

he District is home to ofces o some the nations

larest architecture and interior desin rms as well as

lare, locally-based comanies. While the majority o the

workers are emloyed in architecture, interior desin and

landscae architecture are critical comonents within

the sement as well: the to 15 architectural rms in the

District also oer interior desin serices.

n addition to rms doin work in the sement,

the District is also a center or education, roessional

deeloment, and olicy adocacy in the buildin arts.

he industrys leadin roessional oranizations are

headquartered here, includin the merican nstitute o

rchitects, the merican Society o andscae rchitects,

and the merican Society o nterior Desiners. he

ational Buildin Museum is amon the nations remier

enues or exloration o the built enironment.

he Washinton Desin Center is another imortant

resource or the interior desin industry. One o 16 such

acilities in the nation, the Desin Centers showroom

ies interior desiners, rimarily serin the residential

market, conenient access to roducers and distributors

o hih-ashion interior urnishins in a sinle location.

Buildin arts emloyment in the District tends to

be concentrated in roessional occuations such as

architects, architectural draters, landscae architects,

and interior desiners. Comuter secialists, rahic

desiners, and roessional writers and editors are also

emloyed, but in much smaller numbers.

District emloyers reort little difculty hirin

roessional emloyees. Washinton is iewed as an

attractie location or roessionals in the buildin arts

because o the lare concentration o emloyers, the

strenth o the real estate deeloment market, the

reions reutation (borne out in the current downturn)

as relatiely recession-roo, and the considerable

recreational, cultural, and entertainment amenities that

draw creatie talent. en so, some emloyers note that

the District is considered a second tier location in the

buildin arts relatie to cities such as ew York, Boston,

and San Francisco that are better known as centers or

architecture and desin.

number o hiher education institutions in the

area suly the buildin arts industries with creatie

talent: Catholic Uniersity, the Uniersity o the District

o Columbia, oward Uniersity, and the Uniersity o

Maryland all oer Bachelors o Science in rchitecture

derees. Seeral o these schools also eature raduate

rorams in architecture, and other institutions in the area

oer underraduate and raduate derees in both interior

desin and landscae architecture.

t the secondary school leel, phels rchitecture,

Construction, and nineerin ih School is a secialty

ublic hih school in Washinton that ocuses on

rearin students or careers in those three elds.


34/80


proram areas in the architecture track include

architecture, interior desin, and landscae desin.

Students who raduate rom phels earn a hih school

diloma as well as an industry-reconized certicate o

comletion or their career ocus area. nother learnin

oortunity or hih school students in this eld is the

Uniersity o Marylands Discoerin rchitecture summer

worksho, which coners collee credit.

Challenges and Oppotnities

MANy NDuSTry LEADErS vEW WASNGTON AS A SEC-

OND-TEr LOCATON fOr ArCTECTurE AND NTErOr

DESGN. Many rms reort that they recruit much o their

to talent rom other cities and educational institutions.

he Districts conseratie imae, due in lare art to the

inuence o the ederal oernments resence, lessens its

aeal or youn architecture and desin talent seekin

an edier liestyle and work enironment.

OffCE SPACE N vArOuS DSTrCT NEGbOrOODS,

WErE MANy buLDNG ArTS frMS WOuLD PrEfEr TO

LOCATE, S LMTED. Firms locatin in the District tyically

ay a sinicant remium or sace relatie to suburban

locations. lso, commercial sace in georetown, a

reerred location or architecture rms, is scarce and

relatiely exensie.

TE rEGuLATOry frAMEWOrK AND PrOCESS OfTEN

LMT TE rEGONS APPEAL TO CuTTNG-EDGE DESGN

frMS. rchitects reort that lenthy buildin ermittin

and insection rocesses can add sinicantly to the cost

o deeloment rojects. his imae is exacerbated by the

creative capital rpt 04302010

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